The South Hamilton Hawks football team returned to action on Friday night, as they made the drive down to Des Moines to take on the Grand View Christian Thunder at a rainy Saydel High School in Class 1A, District 7 action in Des Moines. The Hawks entered at 6-1 and 4-0 in the district, while the Thunder entered at 4-3 and 2-2 in the district.
South Hamilton jumped all over the Thunder from the start, as Noah John’s pass on the game’s opening play was intercepted by Tjerdan Johnson and returned to the 2-yard line. Noah Gunderson scored on the next play to make it 8-0 South Hamilton. The Hawks forced a punt on the next drive and quickly made the Thunder pay again, as Nick Severseike broke off a 53-yard touchdown run to make it 16-0 Hawks. On the ensuing offensive drive for South Hamilton, it was a rare aerial assault as that saw Tjerdan Johnson complete a 32-yard pass to Braden Young, followed by a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ryland Ubben that put South Hamilton up 24-0. Grand View Christian would go 3-and-out in the following possession, which set up a Kolby Hodnefield 70-yard touchdown run to put the Hawks up 32-0. Following yet another Thunder punt, it was Noah Gunderson’s turn to break off a long run, a 65-yard touchdown to put South Hamilton up 38-0 after the first quarter. Grand View Christian would get on the board in the 2nd quarter off a Noah John 17-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Hoben to make it 38-7, but a Kolby Hodnefield 9-yard touchdown run put the Hawks up 44-7 at halftime.
The second half saw South Hamilton take the football and march the field, capping the drive off with an Ashton Williams 5-yard touchdown run to put the Hawks up 52-7. GVC would march their opening drive of the 2nd half down the field and punch in a touchdown on a 15-yard scramble by Noah John to make the score 52-13. South Hamilton would get one final touchdown on the night on a 49-yard touchdown run from Landon Greufe to bring the final score to 60-13 South Hamilton.
The Jewell Market Player of the Game was South Hamilton senior quarterback/linebacker Tjerdan Johnson, who went 2-for-6 for 34 yards and a rare passing touchdown, as well as the game-opening interception. Landon Greufe led all rushers with 169 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries, while Noah Gunderson had 86 yards and 2 touchdowns.
South Hamilton returns to action on Friday, when they host their Class 1A First Round Playoff Game against the Denver Cyclones at 7 PM at Bill Taylor Field.